the tankette was specifically modified with an opening underneath within the chassis, just large enough for Orlik to hang them out. The drawback however, was that this modification resulted in a substantial reduction in the tankette's top speed.
Whenever I hear stories of the Polish Army and Air force weather from 1939 or free troops and airman from the rest of the war I'm always amazed by their sheer guts. Speaking as a Briton I'm glad we never had to go up against the Poles in cold war and that we're friends now.
A Sherman could easily kill a King Tiger especially one armed with a 76mm HV gun. Even one armed with a 75mm gun could kill a King Tiger if it had room to maneuver. But why worry about a kinetic kill when the King Tiger were so unreliable that it would have broke down and be abandoned by its crew.
The source for World of Tanks Orlik Medal: "Awarded for destroying three or more enemy tanks or tank destroyers with a light tank. The targets must be at least two tiers higher than the player's tank."
Its impressive how strongly and fiercely the Polish defended their country.Destroying a Panzer IV with a TKS and taking down a Jet with a Biplane, Truthfully a Strong Nation. Respect from Brazil.
I'm not aware of Polish Air Force on 1939 taking down any jets with biplanes. AFAIK, Germany had no operational jet aircraft at that time. As for biplanes, PWS-26 trainer was in use indeed, and some wof these were pressed into liaison role. There was a case of one of these outmaneuvering a Bf-109 so badly the Messerschmitt crashed into ground, trying to follow the biplane, but let's say it was rather exceptional case (and a lot of luck on lt. Jan Falkowki's side). :)
Poland suffered terribly during the Second World War - I have nothing but admiration for their fighting spirit and tenacity up until their eventual freedom from communism, good on you Poland and its people just wish as a country we could have done more to protect you but at the end of the WW2 we were spent and almost bankrupt.
Richard Evans That were Poles who protect you and you took 27 tons of Polish gold reserves stored in UK and Canada as payment for fighters, ammo, fuel, parts, uniforms, food, bases. We fough for you and paid for it. Not only by blood and death.
Richard Evans God Bless all the valiant Polish men and women who fought against the Nazis. As you said they suffered greatly during the war and after. Many of their contributions to defeating the Nazis may not be known but they certainly did their part.
Perhaps i'm looking in the wrong places, but it seems that information about the Polish resistance during the invasion has been criminally underreported until the last couple of years. I'm glad you made this video about one instance of it.
It’s great to hear stories about the Poles who stood tall and proud in the 1939 invasion. All you hear about is the successful “blitzkrieg” of Poland, but the Germans suffered some serious beat downs never mentioned much in history. Glad the Poles are our allies against Russia now. The Poles today would bloody the Russians badly today if they tried that Backstabbing BS today. Poles I know have never forgotten the treachery of Stalin.....
So we've got a video about an M8 Greyhound taking down a Tiger, and now a TKS taking down a Panzer-IV. Mark's next video? How two British soldiers in a Bren carrier disabled a King Tiger using only water balloons and harsh language :D
Orlik was tactically very smart, he knew what he was up against, used it to great success, and was recognized for it....didn't hurt that he had huge brass balls as well....
The Poles did put up a heck of a defense given the odds, a fact little noted in history previously. This is only one of the reasons I so appreciate Dr. Felton's videos and books.
The 20mm TKS has a brother, the TKS-D. It was armed with a 37mm Bofors gun, and was probably the first proper tank destroyer in the world (not 100% sure). Two were built, and both were destroyed by September 7. Still makes it one of my favourite tanks.
Very impressive. Everything that I have read and studied about the Poles showed that they were very brave and fierce fighters. Imagine if they had half of the weapons and materials that Germany had, the Poles would have greatly changed the course of the war. My hat off and with deep respect to Poland.
The Poles lasted 36 days against a combined German and Russian attack. The French against just the Germans and with British 'help'? Only 9 days longer.
Thank you so much for a great video !!!! >> Polish made TKS tankette with AUTOMATED 20 mm gun was really good and efficient weapon at the start of WW the Second in September 1st, 1939. With a well trained 2 people crew, and unbelievable SPEED and MANOEUVRABILITY .... it could do the miracles in the ambush battlefield !!! Unfortunately, Polish army had NOT enough of these models, because they started too late to transform existed teakettles to that 20 mm automated canon operation.
So sad to hear these stories. In real life they would sit in a pub and have a drink but in war the same persons have the order to kill each other. Thanks for your brilliant work!!
Mark - Thank you so much for this story! The Polish campaign's native heroes are mostly forgotten by history. WW2 was such an awful time where young men killed other young men with such ferocity and efficiency.
Currently serving in the US Navy attending A school in Chicago to become an electrician mate. Been watching your videos the last two weeks very fascinating stuff I watch them on my breaks. Keep up the good work sir!
Another jewel! I am happy to see more about this conflict. It is one thing to be fascinated by behemoth nations slugging it out with modern equipment and another to see a true warrior make due. Sgt. Orlik is one of those rare ones!
I Just love all these short stories! I also like how Mr. Felton describes the vehicles and they're weapons and armour and the abilities of all said. Thank you sir keep it up!
Wielka Brytania dwa razy zdradziła Polskę. Pierwszy raz w 1939 r razem z Francją. Gdzie postanowiono o nie atakowaniu Niemiec od Zachodu. Brytyjczycy i Francuzi byli bierni. Drugi raz w Jałcie i Teheranie gdzie USA i GB sprzedała Polskę Rosji. Nawet na marszu zwycięstwa w Londynie nie pozwolono wystąpić Polskiemu wojsku. A na dodatek okradziono Polskę z złota które było deponowane w Anglii. Taki honor ma GB. Dla Polaków wojna skończyła się w 1992 r gdy ostanie Rosyjskie wojsko wyjechało. Taka jest szlachetna Anglia.
The polish Wittman, with added knightly conduct ! Great vignette. These tankettes were designed as over-run / assault vehicles for infantry combat, but the 20-mm capable version is more like a modern FJ AT-aufklarer; super-small silhouette and highly manoeuvrable. peace
Textbook case of "it is not the size of the tank that matters, but the size of the fight within the tank". Ingenuity, knowledge of terrain, and, at times, guile are very valuable for a commander.
Wonderful and inspiring story, thanks! I've also been really curious to hear about how the few Polish 7TP light tanks fared, as they were quite modern/capable against most German armour of the day
A true hero with gallant and courage.. With determination everything is possible but again there is no winner in war only everlasting tears rather than cheers
@@yfelwulf ok...it said the British betrayed the Poles and did not let the Poles to be part of the victory parade....but did not know it was because of the Jews...any evidence of this ?
@@horstschlemmer2042 its funny to see this all comments on the antisemitism evere time there is some good talk about Poland. But I can observe this in the cause of France too. But thanks to this i was forced to check true historical facts about it. this.
@@WanderingShadow100 officialy Brits didn't allow Polish to participate in victory parade in order not to infuriate Stalin. But in fact Poland eventually win the war only in 1989.
Excellent vid, Mr. Felton. WWII has fascinated me for four decades for the simple fact that so many technological advancements in land, air, and water were achieved in a VERY short time frame. The successes, and the failures, are still relevant for study and application even today. Love the channel. huge fan. Please dont stop!
Very intresting video, many people forget that poland put up stiff resistance to the German invasion, videos like this commemorate and show that the poles fought valiantly with whatever they had :)
Orlik was inventor himself. Known to be very open minded. Also reason behind abandoning was not only lack of spare parts and the river. Hes 20 milimeter gun was so rare in the army that there was virtually no spare ammo for it to get from. Also follow up to that ambush story told here. Before that whole situation happened Orlik encountered heavy battered unit of cavalery led by Gen Roman Abraham. They were pulling back and apparently it was gen Abraham himself that talked with Orlik to do something about the tanks that were chasing them. The idea of Abraham was just to stall them so that the unit can withdraw properly, but Orlik had different idea :). That is the reason why Orlik was well prepared and waiting in ambush. This encounter is all written in after the war memories by the general. Side note Rault FT-17 tanks as far as i know were not used in combat. They were stored and belived to be too obsolete and worn down ( ~20 years in service)
It is very rare to see a display of courage and honor in the battlefield. This guy went against a Panzer IV with his little tankette and later saved its mortally wounded Prince; that at least deserves two medals (One for each Balls). .....so when are we going to see the movie?
Poland surrendered in 1939 but many brave soldiers fought until 1945. The Polish flag was raised at Monte Casino, and it was the Poles who plugged the gap at Falaise in Normandy. 🇵🇱 🇬🇧
As a kid, I had a "Matchbox" tank that was bigger than that contraption ! 😯 But what a man Sergeant Orlic was ! To take on so many obviously larger and more powerful tanks with his little tankette, that was pure guts and balls ! I am glad that he survived the war - but I wonder what he did from 1939 - 45 ? He most probably had a very interesting story to tell.
The Poles are also to be saluted for their early contributions to Ultra. In 1932, Polish cryptographers created a replica of the Enigma machine. They were able to decode Enigma messages until 1938. Five weeks before the Nazis invaded, the Polish Cipher Bureau shared its expertise and equipment with French and British military intelligence.
Tankettes are such a misunderstood and wrongly derided piece of WW2 equipment. No, they aren't as "effective" as tanks but they aren't intended to be. They fulfill a different role from tanks; just like armored cars, tank destroyers, assault guns, SPGs, etc do.
Well... my understanding was that they were a cheap way to get a little bit of armored capability. For countries like Poland, that lacked money for expensive equipment, the tankette concept seemed a nice compromise. Especially since they weren't exactly planning to attack anyone. A tankette with supporting infantry could certainly hold up an opposing infantry force for a good while. Rifles & MGs wouldn't destroy one, and you'd have to get a direct hit with a mortar. As soon as anti-tank weapons like bazookas came into use, these vehicles became pointless.
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So does this technically make him a tankette ace?
He was first tank ace in WW2
or a tank ace-ette
Yes
A double-ace at that.
If nothing else very brave.
I'm surprised that little tankette had room for Orlik's massive balls!
You must go to Poland and see for yourself in the museum...
Just his balls, wedged in. The top half of him had to ride outside.
@@josephburke7224 Gotta protect the important parts
@@waldemard8365
Balls like these do belong in a museum.
the tankette was specifically modified with an opening underneath within the chassis, just large enough for Orlik to hang them out. The drawback however, was that this modification resulted in a substantial reduction in the tankette's top speed.
I'm from Poland and i am really happy that you made that video
What part of Poland? I live in the what was the first polish settlement in Texas in the u.s
My last name is German but I am a wiatrek and pawlik. We have towns like kosuisko. Cestihov. I
Shame you didn’t have more 20mm tks’ 😕 I’ve been to Poland twice, beautiful country. Great vodka🤪
Moje brot moje sostra!! Polska!!
AND im german😈
Brave man, and honorable. He didn't have to try to save the prince, but it was the right thing to do. Glad he survived the war.
Whenever I hear stories of the Polish Army and Air force weather from 1939 or free troops and airman from the rest of the war I'm always amazed by their sheer guts. Speaking as a Briton I'm glad we never had to go up against the Poles in cold war and that we're friends now.
I suppose Sgt Orliks attempt to save the young prince from his fiery coffin would also make him a noble man.
Such a cute little bugger, like a Mini-Hetzer!
That tankette Knocking out a Mk IV is like a regular Sherman taking out a Tiger II
Or an m8 armored car knocking out a king tiger...;-)
A Sherman could easily kill a King Tiger especially one armed with a 76mm HV gun. Even one armed with a 75mm gun could kill a King Tiger if it had room to maneuver.
But why worry about a kinetic kill when the King Tiger were so unreliable that it would have broke down and be abandoned by its crew.
I mean the mk4 had like zero armour At the start of the war 🤷♂️
What is a tiger 2.Do you want to try again?
@@gohibniugoh1668 :))))))
Poland's strategic flaw is to be in the middle between Germany and Russia.
*Those brave men who fought inside these tin cans had really big balls*
At least 50lbs of pure ball
They couldn't be thaaat big if they could fit in that little thing :D
I jest...
The biggest! Poles are NO JOKE in the fight and courage dept- crazy fierce
Balls of steel
Poland has been the playground of armies for 1000+ years. It's still around.
The source for World of Tanks Orlik Medal:
"Awarded for destroying three or more enemy tanks or tank destroyers with a light tank. The targets must be at least two tiers higher than the player's tank."
My Polish father was also a tank commander during the German invasion. He ended the war as the driver for General Macek.
A true professional works with what he's got and gets the job done. Great video.
Know your strengths (size) and play to them (hide).
Know your enemy's weakness (side armour) and exploit it.
Nice work sir.
Steve Evans
U are correct and that’s what he did and then had enough compassion to try to save a Prince
Its impressive how strongly and fiercely the Polish defended their country.Destroying a Panzer IV with a TKS and taking down a Jet with a Biplane, Truthfully a Strong Nation. Respect from Brazil.
I'm not aware of Polish Air Force on 1939 taking down any jets with biplanes. AFAIK, Germany had no operational jet aircraft at that time.
As for biplanes, PWS-26 trainer was in use indeed, and some wof these were pressed into liaison role. There was a case of one of these outmaneuvering a Bf-109 so badly the Messerschmitt crashed into ground, trying to follow the biplane, but let's say it was rather exceptional case (and a lot of luck on lt. Jan Falkowki's side).
:)
In Poland barly known! The Real hero but forgoten. Mr. Felton greetings grom Poland and thank you.
Bez przesady, kto chciał wiedzieć ten wie, o wielu rzeczach byśmy nie wiedzieli gdybyśmy sami nie dążyli do tego by się dowiedzieć
Poland suffered terribly during the Second World War - I have nothing but admiration for their fighting spirit and tenacity up until their eventual freedom from communism, good on you Poland and its people just wish as a country we could have done more to protect you but at the end of the WW2 we were spent and almost bankrupt.
Richard Evans The 11th World War?
Richard Evans That were Poles who protect you and you took 27 tons of Polish gold reserves stored in UK and Canada as payment for fighters, ammo, fuel, parts, uniforms, food, bases. We fough for you and paid for it. Not only by blood and death.
The allies shat on the Poles after WW2,
www.britishlegion.org.uk/community/stories/remembrance/why-it-took-60-years-for-poles-to-celebrate-ve-day/
The Whistle Blower minutiae typo error - can you believe it 😳
Richard Evans
God Bless all the valiant Polish men and women who fought against the Nazis. As you said they suffered greatly during the war and after. Many of their contributions to defeating the Nazis may not be known but they certainly did their part.
Perhaps i'm looking in the wrong places, but it seems that information about the Polish resistance during the invasion has been criminally underreported until the last couple of years. I'm glad you made this video about one instance of it.
It’s great to hear stories about the Poles who stood tall and proud in the 1939 invasion. All you hear about is the successful “blitzkrieg” of Poland, but the Germans suffered some serious beat downs never mentioned much in history. Glad the Poles are our allies against Russia now. The Poles today would bloody the Russians badly today if they tried that Backstabbing BS today. Poles I know have never forgotten the treachery of Stalin.....
So we've got a video about an M8 Greyhound taking down a Tiger, and now a TKS taking down a Panzer-IV. Mark's next video? How two British soldiers in a Bren carrier disabled a King Tiger using only water balloons and harsh language :D
thedungeondelver wouldn’t be surprised if that happened, lol. Some odd stuff happens during the chaos of war time.
Hahaha
Amazing true story!😂
Balloons and sarcasm is enough.
Sounds like a job for Mad Jack Churchill!
Orlik was tactically very smart, he knew what he was up against, used it to great success, and was recognized for it....didn't hurt that he had huge brass balls as well....
Epic story telling, thanks Mark.
The Poles did put up a heck of a defense given the odds, a fact little noted in history previously. This is only one of the reasons I so appreciate Dr. Felton's videos and books.
The 20mm TKS has a brother, the TKS-D. It was armed with a 37mm Bofors gun, and was probably the first proper tank destroyer in the world (not 100% sure). Two were built, and both were destroyed by September 7. Still makes it one of my favourite tanks.
So glad you are filling in the history of the Polish Campaign. It deserves to be remembered!
Done Poland proud...gutsy effort.
Another unknown story brought to light..
7TP Tanks apparently had pretty impressive combat record if can you research it Mr Felton it would be awesome
Very impressive. Everything that I have read and studied about the Poles showed that they were very brave and fierce fighters. Imagine if they had half of the weapons and materials that Germany had, the Poles would have greatly changed the course of the war. My hat off and with deep respect to Poland.
The Poles lasted 36 days against a combined German and Russian attack. The French against just the Germans and with British 'help'? Only 9 days longer.
Thank you so much for a great video !!!! >> Polish made TKS tankette with AUTOMATED 20 mm gun was really good and efficient weapon at the start of WW the Second in September 1st, 1939. With a well trained 2 people crew, and unbelievable SPEED and MANOEUVRABILITY .... it could do the miracles in the ambush battlefield !!! Unfortunately, Polish army had NOT enough of these models, because they started too late to transform existed teakettles to that 20 mm automated canon operation.
The Poles fought like demons at Monte Cassino in Italy too.
And at Falaise and Arnhem. The Polish GROM were with UK SBS in Umm Qasr at the start of Gulf War 2.
And the few German Airborne holding the fortress agains all odds were the elite Green Devils .
The Prince fought and died for a idea he didn’t believe in. I’m also sure that was true for many men.
So sad to hear these stories. In real life they would sit in a pub and have a drink but in war the same persons have the order to kill each other. Thanks for your brilliant work!!
Mark - Thank you so much for this story! The Polish campaign's native heroes are mostly forgotten by history. WW2 was such an awful time where young men killed other young men with such ferocity and efficiency.
As Polish Canadian i know the story but still liked to hear it again. Thanks. I like this channel and find the music very adequate the subject(s)
Another excellent mini documentary.
Currently serving in the US Navy attending A school in Chicago to become an electrician mate. Been watching your videos the last two weeks very fascinating stuff I watch them on my breaks. Keep up the good work sir!
Wow amazing story of a brave, courageous and chivalrous man. A true modern Knight! Thanks for the vid.
Another jewel! I am happy to see more about this conflict. It is one thing to be fascinated by behemoth nations slugging it out with modern equipment and another to see a true warrior make due. Sgt. Orlik is one of those rare ones!
I Just love all these short stories! I also like how Mr. Felton describes the vehicles and they're weapons and armour and the abilities of all said. Thank you sir keep it up!
To think that we went to war for Poland. This guy exemplifies why the Poles deserved our support. A warrior with integrity. Long live Poland. ♥️👍🏼🇬🇧
Wielka Brytania dwa razy zdradziła Polskę. Pierwszy raz w 1939 r razem z Francją. Gdzie postanowiono o nie atakowaniu Niemiec od Zachodu. Brytyjczycy i Francuzi byli bierni. Drugi raz w Jałcie i Teheranie gdzie USA i GB sprzedała Polskę Rosji. Nawet na marszu zwycięstwa w Londynie nie pozwolono wystąpić Polskiemu wojsku. A na dodatek okradziono Polskę z złota które było deponowane w Anglii. Taki honor ma GB. Dla Polaków wojna skończyła się w 1992 r gdy ostanie Rosyjskie wojsko wyjechało. Taka jest szlachetna Anglia.
5:42
Must've sucked to be captured by a Pole in a toy tank..........
It had a 20mm that's no joke
Its' size doesn't make it a bad tank though
@@whatanunfortunate That's not how she's gonna feel about it ;)
Still a funny comment though.
At least you survived unlike some of the Poles captured by Germans. Germans started their genocidal tradition on the very first day of the war.
Am polish and i am very happy you made this video!
Never heard of this guy before. What a badass! Honorable too, and even survived the war.
These are the types of videos that really tell the story of WWII. Thanks Mark!
Got a 1:72 model of this lil guy on my shelf. My favorite tankkette, thanks for this.
Seeing your videos truly makes my day! Always a great work!
‘Tankette’ is such a lovely word!
Love your channel because of stories like this.
One of the best channels on youtube. You deserve more views, subs...
Wirklich klasse, um solche Stories zu erfahren müsst ich ohne deine Arbeit sehr, sehr viel lesen.
Thanks
The polish Wittman, with added knightly conduct ! Great vignette. These tankettes were designed as over-run / assault vehicles for infantry combat, but the 20-mm capable version is more like a modern FJ AT-aufklarer; super-small silhouette and highly manoeuvrable. peace
A true Hero. With much Respect from Germany.
I play "World of Tanks", and the TKS 20 is always the one I begin with every Day to warm up. ^^
Textbook case of "it is not the size of the tank that matters, but the size of the fight within the tank". Ingenuity, knowledge of terrain, and, at times, guile are very valuable for a commander.
And here I thought a tankette was a waste of both time and resources. Great story. Thanks for posting.
One of your best. The details, names and pictures are very much appreciated.
I literally just discovered this war story yesterday! What a coincident that Mark made a video about it and posted it today!
Great Video, thx for Your job ! My Grandfather fought in 1939, after Campaign was imprisoned in Oflag till 1945.
Wonderful and inspiring story, thanks! I've also been really curious to hear about how the few Polish 7TP light tanks fared, as they were quite modern/capable against most German armour of the day
A true hero with gallant and courage.. With determination everything is possible but again there is no winner in war only everlasting tears rather than cheers
I loved this story and have a new respect for the little Tankettes & even more for the brave Poles.
The Poles, a great bunch of lads.
yfelwulf in the 60s all Jews fled Poland because of massive antisemitisem...
@@yfelwulf ok...it said the British betrayed the Poles and did not let the Poles to be part of the victory parade....but did not know it was because of the Jews...any evidence of this ?
@@horstschlemmer2042 its funny to see this all comments on the antisemitism evere time there is some good talk about Poland. But I can observe this in the cause of France too. But thanks to this i was forced to check true historical facts about it. this.
@@WanderingShadow100 officialy Brits didn't allow Polish to participate in victory parade in order not to infuriate Stalin. But in fact Poland eventually win the war only in 1989.
This was nice for we don't seem to hear much about what the smaller countrys did in WW2 but for they was over run .
I can not praise mark enough! these videos are wonderful pieces of history Mark you are building a legacy that will last forever. bless you sir
Excellent vid, Mr. Felton. WWII has fascinated me for four decades for the simple fact that so many technological advancements in land, air, and water were achieved in a VERY short time frame. The successes, and the failures, are still relevant for study and application even today.
Love the channel. huge fan. Please dont stop!
Mr Felton thank you for honoring my Hero Countryman. Best wishes.
Thanks for shedding some light on this often overlooked part of WW2
This is a good example for valor in action not needing excessive firepower or sheer size.
Thanks for sharing this well-done report.
Never underestimate the little guy. Great channel
AMAZING!! HAIL TO THE POLISH TANK ACE!!
92k subscribers.. I feel a little proud I was here when you had just 19k.. Well deserved Mark!
Thank you for keeping these important stories alive!
Very intresting video, many people forget that poland put up stiff resistance to the German invasion, videos like this commemorate and show that the poles fought valiantly with whatever they had :)
Thank you for making this, subject is close to my heart and you covered it beautifully.
Orlik was inventor himself. Known to be very open minded. Also reason behind abandoning was not only lack of spare parts and the river. Hes 20 milimeter gun was so rare in the army that there was virtually no spare ammo for it to get from. Also follow up to that ambush story told here. Before that whole situation happened Orlik encountered heavy battered unit of cavalery led by Gen Roman Abraham. They were pulling back and apparently it was gen Abraham himself that talked with Orlik to do something about the tanks that were chasing them. The idea of Abraham was just to stall them so that the unit can withdraw properly, but Orlik had different idea :). That is the reason why Orlik was well prepared and waiting in ambush. This encounter is all written in after the war memories by the general.
Side note Rault FT-17 tanks as far as i know were not used in combat. They were stored and belived to be too obsolete and worn down ( ~20 years in service)
Never heard of Orlik but he sounds like quite the person. Thank you for the history lesson.
Now I know where the Orlik's medal comes from in World of Tanks!
Makes me happy I got about 30 of them
Nice! More on Poland please! And any other stories of heroic resistance by Dutch, Belgian, Danish, Norwegian, Yugoslav, Greek fighters
I agree, more material on lesser known heroes of WWII, please !
First class production Professor Felton, I will be recommending your channel yet again!
That little thing was the jagtiger of Poland.
I am not from Poland , an i am glad you made this video .
Man's a hero,can only imagine how many of these stories we'll never know about..
Great video first I've heard about the TKS in action.
i will visit Warsaw to see this TKS. I took a glance at the Polish Army Museum at Motokov last year..
thats impressive, tankette doing so much damage like that, the guy defiantly knew what he was doing
Thanks for posting, It's the "little" stories that make up the big picture.
Thank you for these small videos that add detail. We know the bigger picture but it's these little details that remind us of the people involved.
Hell of a story, hell of a life, deserves a movie at least.
A man has got to do what a man has got to do..... To the brave and unnamed heroes we owe our freedom !
Thank you. More history about the valiant Polish resistance no one told us about.
It is very rare to see a display of courage and honor in the battlefield. This guy went against a Panzer IV with his little tankette
and later saved its mortally wounded Prince; that at least deserves two medals (One for each Balls).
.....so when are we going to see the movie?
Thanks for this exceptional bit of heroic history, Mark.
Poland surrendered in 1939 but many brave soldiers fought until 1945. The Polish flag was raised at Monte Casino, and it was the Poles who plugged the gap at Falaise in Normandy. 🇵🇱 🇬🇧
Correction, Poland never surrendered to anyone. Warsaw surrendered after it's water supply was destroyed.
Peter Alderson
Objection!!!!
Poland didn’t surrender, it fought until it got reduced tu ruble
There was no official surrender from the Polish government.
Indeed we Poles are that stupid. We should have done like the French and save the country from total destruction.
As a kid, I had a "Matchbox" tank that was bigger than that contraption ! 😯
But what a man Sergeant Orlic was ! To take on so many obviously larger and more powerful tanks with his little tankette, that was pure guts and balls ! I am glad that he survived the war - but I wonder what he did from 1939 - 45 ? He most probably had a very interesting story to tell.
Very cool story! Great job as always Mark, please keep them coming!
Damn, I like it when you make videos like this. Keep it up.
Need more videos like this by other ww2 channels in my opinion. Poland is such an interesting country before the war
The Poles are also to be saluted for their early contributions to Ultra. In 1932, Polish cryptographers created a replica of the Enigma machine. They were able to decode Enigma messages until 1938. Five weeks before the Nazis invaded, the Polish Cipher Bureau shared its expertise and equipment with French and British military intelligence.
A very interesting and unique story about one man's bravery. Thank You.
Tankettes are such a misunderstood and wrongly derided piece of WW2 equipment. No, they aren't as "effective" as tanks but they aren't intended to be. They fulfill a different role from tanks; just like armored cars, tank destroyers, assault guns, SPGs, etc do.
Well... my understanding was that they were a cheap way to get a little bit of armored capability. For countries like Poland, that lacked money for expensive equipment, the tankette concept seemed a nice compromise. Especially since they weren't exactly planning to attack anyone. A tankette with supporting infantry could certainly hold up an opposing infantry force for a good while. Rifles & MGs wouldn't destroy one, and you'd have to get a direct hit with a mortar.
As soon as anti-tank weapons like bazookas came into use, these vehicles became pointless.
Thanks. This story is a ready great plot for some historical movie.
Big thanks for this video Mark!